20 Former Celebrities Who Have Now Normal Jobs

When we talk about celebrities, we imagine them to have a larger than life ‘persona.’ They can do things that ordinary folks can only dream about; they often live a life that most people can only fantasize. They are the ones who set the fashion trends, and they give music to our lips. While some earn their stardom instantly, others gain it by putting years of hard work. But there is one thing that unites all of them; their life is constantly under the lens. If you talk about the larger world of showbiz, there are few who can hold their celebrity status all throughout their lives while for the rest stardom fades away. Even fewer can settle into a regular job, and here we take a look at some celebrities who have done so in their lives!!

Nikki Blonsky

Recall Tracy Turnblad from the 2007 romantic comedy Hairspray. Nikki played an overweight high school student who wants to make it to a dance television show and was much loved for this cute and romantic role. Though this performance was well-received and got her nominations to several awards, she didn’t find too many lead roles that would support her bills. That’s when she decided to try out an alternative career and applied for a cosmetology license. Today Nikki is a successful makeup artist and works in a New York salon near her hometown Great Neck. She also makes occasional television appearances but stays fully focused on her job where she has done decent name for herself and enjoyed near celebrity status.

Al Franken

Imagine a person who earned his living making fun of lawmakers eventually turning into one? Well, you need to be Al Franken to do so. Franken received his fan following writing scripts and also occasionally starring on NBC’s sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live where he is known to have made fun of everyone across the spectrum. Apart from this he also hosted The Al Franken Show and starred in the movie Stuart Saves His Family. Franken was involved in a civil lawsuit filed by Fox News Network against him for using their trademark ‘Fair And Balance’ for the title of his book. And what does he do now? Franken is a Senator representing Minnesota. Wonder how many friends does he have among people whom he mocked during his stint with SNL?

Brittany Ashton Holmes

If you meet this beautiful young woman, you are unlikely to realize that her tryst with fame on the screen started as a child actor. Just five years old Holmes played the role of Darla in the film adaptation of The Little Rascals. Her performance was well appreciated, and she also played the role of Amy Carver in Humanoid. Like most another child artist she quietly faded away from the glitz and glamor world. And nobody would have known her story had she not shared it on the social media. She currently works at Starbucks and also pursuing a career in political science. What does Holmes think of her role in The Little Rascals? She finds it embarrassing and doesn’t want to appear on the screen anymore.

Mercedes Lander

Though the name Mercedes Lander may not instantly strike in your mind as it has been quite a while that she has been seen performing on stage. But this beautiful Canadian girl was one part of the all-girl band, Kittie. They enjoyed huge success in the 90s and early years of this millennium and had some hit songs to their credit including ‘Brackish,’ ‘Spit’ and ‘Charlotte.’ At its peak, the band was regarded as one of the best girl’s heavy metal bands in the world. Mercedes was a vocalist and drummer for the band. These days she keeps herself occupied with her job as a real estate agent in Canada and can also be seen occasionally playing with the band.

Sasha Obama

While the surname may be enough to attract royal treatment everywhere she went, Sasha Obama, the younger daughter of the former US President worked at Nancy’s Restaurant as a part of her summer job. While most teens hate working in the food business in the course of their summer job Sasha she did a brilliant job managing the cash register and attending business tables at the seafood joint in Oak Bluffs. Being the President’s daughter back then she was protected by the Secret Service Agents. And her choice of this restaurant came as no surprise as the Obamas are known to be friends with the restaurant’s owner Joe Moujabber. How did she fare? Well given the popularity Obama enjoyed customers would have loved the experience of talking to Sasha.

Chris Owen

How can we forget the ladies’ man Sherminator from American Pie and how he entertained us all starring in other movies for the franchise – American Pie 2, American Pie Presents: Band Camp and American Reunion? Chris starred in more than two dozen movies but never found quite the same success as his role as Chuck Sherman in American Pie. Perhaps he was typecast by the audience who never accepted him doing anything else! While he made the entire world laugh with his performance live hasn’t been as generous to him. He works at a Sushi restaurant in Santa Monica which he says keeps him in the fight. While he saw on the screen playing smaller roles these days who knows another great one may be just around the corner.

Dylan Sprouse

Remember the 1999 comedy Big Daddy, and you won’t find it hard to recall the character of Julian McGrath popularly known as Frankenstein in that movie. All of seven years old, Dylan Thomas Sprouse made us all laugh with his twin brother Cole Mitchell Sprouse. The twins were also seen in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Suite Life on Deck and The Suite Life Movie, which aired in March on the Disney Channel. When news broke out of his working as a waiter in New York City restaurant, most people thought there he had hit a little in life. Well, the fact is this job pays for his education at the New York University and also his addiction for video games! And Dylan wants to get back to acting once he is done with this education.

Frankie Muniz

Sitcom Malcolm in the Middle which aired in 2000 was an instant hit among the audience, and it made Frankie Muniz aka Malcolm an overnight star. His performance earned him two Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy Award nomination. He also starred in several other TV shows that include My Dog Skip, Scruff, Extreme Movie and Blast Vegas. A racing enthusiast from early day Frankie soon became active on the circuit and signed a two-year contract with Jensen Motorsport. While he continues to make appearances on TV shows, he is all focused on racing as his first career. He can be seen taking part in sporting events all throughout America. Well for Frankie being fast and furious on the track seems to pump his adrenaline!

George Foreman

If you know a thing or two about boxing, you will immediately recall George Foreman. Nicknamed ‘Big George’ he is a two-time heavyweight champion and also won an Olympic Gold in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City as an amateur. He is often regarded as one of the greatest boxers ever from America only second to the legendary Muhammad Ali against whom he lost his bout. Once he announced his retirement and was looking for new avenues to earn a living, he started promoting an indoor electrically heated grill to which he even lends his name. A decade and a half later, George Foreman Grill has sold over 100 million grills making it one of the most revered restaurant brands in America.

Jeff Cohen

Chunk aka Lawrence Cohen delivered a stellar performance in the 1985 movie The Goonies and was immediately seen as a promising child actor in Hollywood. The little boy with chubby cheeks became a celebrity almost overnight and went on to act in Perfect Harmony besides making appearances in several other TV shows. But like many other child actors, he didn’t carry this success forward into adulthood and settled for something else. As a child actor, he was fascinated by a career in law after having known that many successful Hollywood stars had a law degree and went to the UCLA School of Law. These days he lives in Los Angeles and practices there and is known to have become a successful lawyer.

Jon Gosselin

There are some ordinary people who gain celebrity status, and it divorces them as fast as it comes to their lives. This is the story of Jon Gosselin who became a household name starring in Jon and Kate Plus 8 with his wife Kate and their eight children. He was also seen in Surviving Sextuplets and Twins that aired on Discover Health. Post his television fame he took to waiting tables at a restaurant in Beckersville from where he was subsequently fired. What does Jon do now for a living? Well, he has turned into a male stripper at a nightclub in New Jersey. He says his new job offers him financial and emotional reward which is quite a thing for a former reality star.

Josh Saviano

Remember the geek looking Paul Joshua Pfeiffer from the ABC show The Wonder Years, and you know how good performance it was from Josh Saviano. For the entire run of the show, Paul was a household name among Americans. He just seemed to have sunk into the character and was one of the main reasons behind the show’s immense popularity. While he did make guest appearances in a few other shows later his success was limited to The Wonder Years. Today he is a highly rated corporate lawyer and part of a big law firm and a member of the bar in New York. He attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is also active on Twitter.

Kirk Cameron

We have come across numerous stories of how people who want to join priesthood later turned into actors (remember a certain Tom Cruise), but it is rare to find a man from the world of glitz and glamor get into evangelism. Well, we are talking about Kirk Cameron who impressed the audience in his role as Mike Seaver in ABC sitcom Growing Pains. He also starred in movies such as ‘Like Father Like Son’ Fireproof and Listen to Me. Perhaps the personal call made him realize the real purpose of his life as he turned an evangelist and found his ministry The Way of the Master. He is still seen on the television not playing ‘Large Than Life’ characters but preaching religion.

Liam Gallagher

If you can recall the singles ‘Songbird’ and ‘I’m Outta Time’ you will be able to remember William John Paul Gallagher popularly known as Liam who penned them. He gained stardom with the rock band Oasis which also had his brother Noel Gallagher as the vocalist. When it split, Liam founded Beady Eye which wasn’t as popular as Oasis and released merely two albums with ‘The Roller’ being their only notable song. With success eluding him Liam thought it was best to make a move and start something new. He came out with his fashion label Pretty Green which has gained immense popularity in the United Kingdom. He can occasionally be seen performing some of his hit numbers these days.

Michael Maronna

For some, the honeymoon in the glamor world ends as fast as it starts and they only fade away from public memory. If you bump into this young electrician on the movie sets, he may not seem different from others in his trade, but behind this smart looking electrician is a former celebrity. Michael ‘Mike’ Madonna is best remembered for playing Big Pete in Nickelodeon’s comedy series The Adventures of Pete & Pete in the 90s. He also played Jeff McCalliste’s character in Home Alone and Home Alone 2, but soon success evaded him with projects drying up. He made a sensible move and turned into an electrician and has been involved in projects such as Be Kind Rewind and Sex & the City.

Peter Ostrum

If you have watched the 1971 musical fantasy Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, it won’t be hard to recall the character of Charlie Bucket, a child from a low-income family with a strong moral character. Peter Ostrum aged 12 proved his brilliance in acting. The 2005 fantasy film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was inspired by his style. Though he remained active in showbiz for the next two decades, Peter chose to be a real-life veterinarian over fictional characters on the screen. What inspired him to turn a vet? Well, a vet who would visit to take care of his family’s horse. He is an alumnus of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and perhaps America’s most famous vet.

Steven Seagal

Playing the ‘Good Guys’ taking on the ‘Bad Guys’ is cherished by all actors. But few have what it takes to turn into a real life cop. Well, Steven Frederic Seagal is no stranger to law enforcement, and you can recall his role as Detective Sergeant Nicolo Toscani in the 1988 movie Above the Law. He played Detective Gino Felino in Out for Justice, Cmdr. Marshall Lawson in Attack Force and Lt. Jack Cole in The Glimmer Man. What does this man with a 7th-dan black belt in Aikido do next in his career? He signs up for law enforcement role and is the Reserve Deputy Chief under Louisiana Sheriff’s Office. And he earned this role by teaching unarmed combat to the cops.

Taran Noah Smith

Remember Mark or Marcus Jason Taylor from the famed ABC sitcom Home Improvement. Well, as much the American fancied the happy 7-year-old boy who turned 16 by the time the show ended its eight seasons Taran later acknowledged that he didn’t quite enjoy acting! While he was seen on some other shows with the TV movie Ebbie being the other notable one he never quite found himself in the glitz world. His marriage to Heidi Van Pelt who was sixteen years elder to him made controversy. Taran made a career switch and started Playfood a non-dairy cheese manufacturer and restaurant specializing in vegan and organic food. While the couple parted ways in 2007, he perhaps found himself in the world of food business!

Tony Danza

It’s famously said, “A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audience’s attention, then he can teach his lesson.” Well, we can’t comment on the lessons part but having Tony Danza as your English teacher would surely be one of the most entertaining experiences. For a while this former TV star who was seen in shows such as Who’s the Boss? And Taxi taught 10-grade English at the Northeast Philadelphia High School. And Danza wasn’t just a television celebrity but also a professional boxer who enjoyed quite a good record on the screen. While his teaching job was a part of A&E reality show Teach: Tony, Danza he did show his skills in this profession and was much liked by his students.

Vanilla Ice

‘Ice Ice Baby’ and Robert Matthew Van Winkle aka Vanilla Ice made the world freeze and take notice of him. A part of his debut album Hooked this hip-hop single is the first ever song from this genre to top the Billboard charts. While this remained the biggest success in his career he also made his fans dance to the tunes of other songs ‘Road To My Riches’ and ‘Rolling in My 5.0.’ At the peak of his popularity he also made his entry into films and starred in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and The Helix…Loaded. When the Billboard charts and popularity started to ditch him, Ice got into the realty business. He would buy homes, renovate them and sell them for a premium price and make tons of money.